Well, the long weekend is almost over for those of us in the USA. If you are like me you may find yourself in some serious bumper to bumper traffic as you leave the beach, and having a little garden reading can really lighten the travel stress. Here’s what I’m going to be reading today on my way home!

I’ve got some corners in my house that would be perfect for a little planter or two, my only problem is that these dark corners are beyond the reach of my windows, and completely unsuitable for large grow lights. I discovered this small scale grow light this week while “window shopping” that was just too great not to share!

Solutions Catalogue online has this great tabletop sized grow light for small spaces, that is perfect for small spaces, tabletop containers, or shelf displays. These grow lights run about 29 dollars, and are a great way to keep indoor plants healthy where window light is scarce. I know a few friends who would love something like this to cheer up a dark corner in a basement apartment, but there are plenty of ways to incorporate something like this into your desk at work or even on a bookshelf at home.

Check it out if you are looking for something small to get things growing in your space!

Whitefly can become a nuisance year-round for your favorite indoor plants, and over-wintering outdoor plants inside through the cold weather can sometimes compound the problem by bringing new insects into the house. Pesticides in granular form can take care of this problem for you, but for those of us with pets, children, or the desire to use something less toxic, there are solutions that will help you gain control of your problem. Ideally you will want to eliminate all the life stages of Whitefly that may be living on or around your favorite houseplant and do it quickly. Adult Whitefly are not only deadly to plants due to their feeding methods, but they are also carriers of plant diseases from one plant to another. [Read more...]

Occasionally the best indoor accent plants can come straight from the wild. The Indian Strawberry is a naturalized weed from India that works wonderfully as an indoor plant, and it’s free! This perennial has tiny decorative blooms, and small brightly colored berries that resemble miniature common strawberries.

Shady lawns and gardens across the United States have been sporting these misplaced plants for decades, where they attract the attention of wildlife and children everywhere. For the lawn purist the weeds need eradication with selective spraying, or removing by hand in order to control the runners. Instead of throwing the runners in the compost binhowever, try potting them in a simple milk-glass container to brighten up a dimly lit corner of your house.

Blooms and Berries:

This ground cover sends out little yellow flowers in the late spring and early summer, which turn into tasteless miniature berries from mid summer through September. The berries are safe and edible, so Indian Strawberry is a plant that is also kid and pet friendly.

How to Plant It:

The mature plant can be dug up and planted in an indoor container year round. To grow your own plants from start to finish, collect seeds from the berries, and plant them in February or March for spring and summer blooms and berries. Another way to propagate the plant is to lay some of the runners on the soil line of the original container and allow them to root. As the new runner plants establish themselves they keep the container looking lush.

Another great way to re-purpose this garden green is to use it as a “spiller” to add to your shaded outdoor hanging baskets and containers.

Give this plant a try, and see what other common plants you can find creative uses for!